"How wise." Hsieh's tone was as flat as his expression was blank.
Wei Dao continued, "After we must exchange witch for person of Esteemed Minister, we think she give up and leave-then we find her hiding in ylang blossoms." The princess peered at Ruha from the corner of her eye. "She is most resolute killer."
Hsieh nodded sagely. "Most."
"We are taking her to Chamber of One Thousand
Deaths when she makes lamp explode and escapes again," Wei Dao continued. "Please to lend me sword. I
promise Honorable Husband that I kill barbarian before he returns with Virtuous Mother."
Yu Po immediately reached for his sword, but Minister
Hsieh quickly raised a hand to restrain him. The adju- tant's jaw fell slack, as did those of several guards.
"Do you not wish to hear what Lady Ruha says?" Hsieh asked.
Yu Po and the guards glanced at each other as though the thought had never crossed their minds. "But Lady
Ruha is barbarian!" Yu Po gasped. "Princess Dao is wife of son of Third Virtuous Concubine."
Hsieh nodded as though he were in complete agree-
ment with his adjutant, then bit his lips as though strug- gling with a difficult decision. "What you say is most true. It does not matter that Lady Ruha saves our lives when dragon attacks Ginger Lady."
The mandarin allowed his gaze to linger on Wei Dao, who took several quiet breaths and tried not to look con- cerned as the color drained from her face.
"If Shou princess claims barbarian witch intends to kill Lady Feng, then we must believe her." Hsieh contin- ued to glare at the princess. "If she feels certain we understand her correctly-and if she is certain she says what she means."
Wei Dao's painted lips began to quiver, but she did not look away from Hsieh's penetrating gaze. "I… I am cer- tain."
Yu Po placed a hand on the hilt of his sword, but cast a questioning look at Hsieh and stopped short of drawing it. The mandarin remained as motionless as a statue and continued to glare at Wei Dao. Ruha hardly dared to breathe. She did not understand all the nuances of the exchange, but it seemed clear enough that the minister was trying to save her life-whether because he wished to repay her or because he needed a spy, she did not know. It hardly mattered, and the witch sensed that even the slightest movement on her part might well bring the contest to an unfavorable end.
As frightened as Wei Dao appeared, it was Hsieh who looked away first. "It appears the princess is most confi- dent of herself."
Yu Po drew his sword. Before Ruha could summon the incantation of even a simple spell to mind, two guards grabbed her arms and pushed her forward, laying her head flat upon the table. The witch uttered a silent prayer, begging the forgiveness of Lander, her dead lover, for failing as a Harper, then took her last breath and pre- pared to die.
The blow did not fall. After a time, Ruha opened her eyes-she did not remember closing them-and craned
her neck against the restraining hands of her guards
She saw Hsieh and the others standing over her beside the table. The mandarin had taken Yu Po's wrist to restrain him from giving the sword to Wei Dao.
"The Emperor's justice cannot be denied, but we are in land of savages," said Hsieh. "We must allow Lady Ruha to speak, so her friend Vaerana Hawklyn may not protest that our execution is unjust."
"Esteemed Mandarin, why do we care if Vaerana
Hawklyn protests?" Wei Dao's voice continued to be over- loud. "She is barbarian!"
"Vaerana Hawklyn is barbarian with army. If she makes hostage of Shou Mandarin, does she hesitate to sack Ginger Palace?" Hsieh paused to let the others con- sider his point, then continued, "But if we follow form of barbarians and let prisoner speak, perhaps we appease
Vaerana's superiors. Perhaps we avoid battle."
The mandarin released his adjutant's wrist. Yu Po low- ered his sword, but did not return the blade to its scab- bard. He and the other Shou no longer seemed quite so confused by Hsieh's perverse defense of the witch's life.
Ruha dared to hope their reaction meant the minister had finally prevailed in the strange battle of protocol between him and Wei Dao.
The princess frowned, but seemed unable to effectively oppose the suggestion. "Ask, but her answer is lie."
Hsieh smiled grimly. "Yes, if you say it is." He leaned over Ruha. "Lady Ruha, does Princess tell truth?"
"No." The witch's answer reverberated through the tabletop and returned to her ear sounding loud and deep.
"Lady Feng has been abducted."
Ruha's assertion elicited no cries of outrage or gasps of surprise. The Shou remained as silent as stones, and by their silence the witch knew that none of them, even
Hsieh, gave any credence to her claims.
Wei Dao reached for Yu Po's sword.
"I can prove what I say!" Ruha exclaimed.
It was Hsieh who scorned the witch's claim. "How can
you prove what is not possible?"
The mandarin's tone was severe and impatient, as though he had expected her to say something else. Cold fingers of panic began to creep through the witch's belly.
Yu Po was awaiting permission to yield his sword, and
Ruha could not imagine what Hsieh wished to hear. Wei
Dao had already declared anything the witch said to be a lie, and the Shou seemed unwilling, perhaps even unable, to believe otherwise. The truth, even if it could be proved, did not matter-and Ruha suddenly realized what the minister wanted her to say.
"Princess Wei Dao is protecting her mother-in-law," the witch said. "Lady Feng has taken a lover."
Hsieh gasped much too loudly, prompting Yu Po to step back and sheath his sword.
"Lady Ruha, you are certain?" Hsieh did not even bother to feign his shock well. "Princess Dao is. ••. mis- taken?"
"Is that not a good reason for her to have me silenced?"
"Indeed, but it does not work. I suspect this myself."
Hsieh whirled on Wei Dao and fixed her with a stony glare. "Do I not warn you about lying to me?"
"I am Shou Princess." Though her chin was trembling,
Wei Dao held it high. "I do not lie, Esteemed Mandarin."
"No?" Hsieh glanced at the guards pinning Ruha to the table, who promptly released the witch and stepped back.
"Lady Ruha, please to show proof of Lady Feng's impru- dence."
Ruha straightened her aba and started to remind the mandarin that what she had offered to prove was not
Lady Feng's infidelity, but her abduction-then she thought twice about confusing the issue and held her tongue. To the Shou, the witch was beginning to realize, truth was a relative thing. As long as she had Hsieh's support, any evidence she offered would no doubt be taken as proof of whatever the mandarin wished.
Ruha started to lead the way out of the room, then remembered her manners and bowed to Wei Dao, gesturing